Who we are

Learn more about the team behind the West River Trail Coalition…

Jerry Cole

Jerry has over 30 years of experience in the Parks and Recreation field.  He has provided visionary leadership in the management of public facilities, programs, special events, park, open space and trails planning. Jerry has been employed in the governmental and not-for-profit organizations throughout his career.

Jerry is committed to comprehensive planning, operations and management of Park and Recreation facilities, programs and special events.  He has been involved with master planning, comprehensive long range park planning, facility planning and operations, trails planning and development, special event and recreation programming.  Jerry has the distinction of being the only Park and Recreation professional of overseeing a Park and Recreation District operated only from program revenues with no tax dollars.

Jerry has been asked to speak on revenue generation, special event programming and trails planning at the National Parks and Recreation Association’s annual Congress, Washington State Parks and Recreation Association, California Parks and Recreation Association, NRPA Revenue Management School, Midwest Parks and Recreation Association, South Dakota Parks and Recreation Association, as well as to City and County Governments around the Nation.

Jerry Dunn

Jerry is the founder and president of Lean Horse Productions, Inc.  His company produces and directs endurance running events in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with a focus on using the George S. Mickelson Trail for his courses.  (The Mickelson Trail is part of the Rails-to-Trails National Conservancy Program).

Jerry has been a self-employed, entrepreneurial type businessman for most of his working career.  His strengths are his organizational skills, his personal touch to all business relationships and his ability to be a self-starter.

Jerry served on the Mickelson Trail Coalition and was influential in bringing national attention to the Mickelson Trial’s existence through the creation of The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon and The Lean Horse Hundred Ultra marathon.

Jerry was recently awarded The Special Achievement Award by the Black Hills Badlands and Lakes organization for his contribution to South Dakota Tourism.

Arlette Wiege

Born and raised in the Rapid City area, Arlette is an experienced drafting technician who has been involved with design efforts of several trails, parks and other outdoor facilities throughout the region.

Whether it be a trail or a playground, she is committed to safe and healthy activities for surrounding communities and their families. “The West River area especially the Black Hills, are very dear to my heart.”

Ryan Phillips

During his free time, Ryan is an avid trail enthusiast who regularly competes in trail running events in the Black Hills and Wyoming. In 2011, he helped organize and direct the Black Hills 100, a trail ultramarathon run entirely on the Centennial Trail. The inaugural event, attracted more than 150 runners from 30 states, and multiple foreign countries…read more here.

Ryan is a media producer for a local non-profit educational organization and produces a wide variety of educational videos for the K-12 and higher education system in South Dakota. He holds a bachelors degree in elementary education from Dakota State University, and a Masters degree in Technology for Education and Training from the University of South Dakota.